Drystock values capture in Highland

A farm sharing its boundary with the bush clad Ureweras offers the chance to return to old school pastoral traditions while also enjoying some unique lifestyle opportunities.

Bayleys Gisborne agent Simon Bousfield is overseeing the sale of 1064ha Highland Station located on Tahora Settlement road in the Matawai district, inland from Gisborne.

The well-established property has been held by its current owners for over 20 years and represents excellent contour, climate and infrastructure quality.

“Highland is a quality East Coast dry stock property that also manages to offer a certain ‘x’ factor that is hard to get, thanks to its location so close to the Ureweras. This provides some of the best quality hunting and fishing you can get on the East Coast, and all pretty much right at your back door,” he says.

The property is located near the headwaters of the Hangaroa river, long regarded as a lower profile, rewarding, river to trout fish from in the region.

The medium contoured property is interspersed with regenerating native bush, running to the bush clad ranges of the Ureweras with their abundant deer hunting opportunities.

Bousfield says this location makes the farm one of “two halves” that give it an edge of flexibility for management across the farming seasons.

“At the back of the property the contour is steeper, but it tends to be warmer and sheltered making for good winter country, while towards the front you have the easier country that lends itself to finishing some of the stock upon.”

At its peak the property has wintered between 6000-6500 stock units over 710 effective hectares, with the owners running numbers slightly below this for ease of management as they head towards retirement years.

The property has been averaging 135%-140% lambing figures, and all lambs are finished on farm. The Angus-Hereford cattle run have steers sold for store at 18 months, with heifers fattened and sold as store or fattened, depending upon the season.

Water supply is plentiful through an abundance of natural springs, dams and headwater supplies while a gravity fed system provides water from a spring supply.

The farm homestead is a well maintained, spacious four-bedroom home that has good indoor-outdoor living options with its covered verandahs.

Its location amidst well landscaped grounds offers expansive views down the farm valley. A self-contained studio-office and a hunting cabin on the farm offer the potential for “off grid” farmstays and are a welcome retreat for visitors to the property.

Other building assets on the farm include a sound four stand wool shed, covered yards with 1100 head capacity, implement sheds and both satellite and main cattle yards.

Simon Bousfield said interest has been strong in the property from around the country, with its location holding particular appeal.

“Highland has this sense about it that captures those traditional pastoral sheep and beef values. For anyone who may have missed saddling up their horse and heading into the hills with their dogs, this is the property to revisit that experience, and enjoy a great lifestyle along the way.”